Revelation 17:7; Why Didst Thou Marvel?

Revelation 17:7  And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 

Seeing his astonishment, the angel asks him rhetorically the reason for his reaction, and then proceeds to explain the meaning of the symbols. “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel?” I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast which bears her, who has the seven heads and ten horns. He proceeds with an extensive explanation of the beast (v8-17) and a less extensive one of the woman (v18).

Revelation 17:8-17  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 

Revelation 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 

What has been hidden will now be revealed about the two (i.e., mysterion). They are one mystery not two because of the close relations between them (Lee). The revelation concerning the beast has several parts: the beast himself (v8), his Heads (v9-11), his horns (v12-14), the waters (v15), and the horns again (v16-17) (Moffatt).

The change in v3 from “sitting” to “κάθημαι” to “that carrieth” her “βαστάζοντος (Rev. 17:7 (SCR)” in this verse is significant. The verb here portrays the beast’s relationship to the woman indicates that he supplies her motive force and purpose (Kiddle).

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 291-292]